Karnataka High Court Quashes Doping Ban on Indian Basketball Player Shashank Rai
Rai maintained that the presence of 19-NA in his system was not the result of steroid use but was plausibly due to the regular consumption of pork—specifically meat from non-castrated male pigs.
Bengaluru, June 5, 2025 — In a landmark judgment underscoring the importance of procedural fairness in anti-doping cases, the Karnataka High Court has quashed a four-year doping ban imposed on Indian basketball player Shashank Rai. The Court found serious lapses in how the disciplinary and appellate authorities handled the case, ruling that Rai was denied a fair hearing despite presenting credible scientific evidence in his defense.
Pork to Blame?
Shashank Rai, a prominent national basketball player who has represented Karnataka eight times at the national level and also donned India’s jersey in international competition, was sanctioned by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel in October 2022. The suspension stemmed from the detection of 19-Norandrosterone (19-NA), a banned substance, in his urine sample. An appeal against the sanction was dismissed by the Appellate Authority in April 2024.
Rai maintained that the presence of 19-NA in his system was not the result of steroid use but was plausibly due to the regular consumption of pork—specifically meat from non-castrated male pigs. He submitted food bills and expert medical affidavits to support this explanation, which is backed by known biochemical pathways. However, both the Disciplinary Panel and the Appellate Authority ignored this evidence without providing any meaningful reasoning or investigation.
Authorities Failed to Exercise Their Discretion
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, delivering the verdict, noted that the authorities failed to exercise the discretion available under Article 10.6 of the National Anti Doping Rules, 2021, which allows for reduced sanctions in cases involving “no significant fault or negligence.”
The Court also expressed concern over the handling of Rai’s sample, describing it as a “classic illustration of breach of sample integrity,” violating both the World Anti-Doping Agency Code and the National Anti-Doping Act.
“The Appellate Authority renders no meaningful engagement with the submissions, nor does it provide any discernible rationale for discarding the evidence so produced by the petitioner,” the Court observed. It emphasized that strict liability under anti-doping law does not justify procedural lapses, adding that “foundational requirements of principles of natural justice cannot be sacrificed.”
High Personal Toll
Highlighting the personal toll that doping accusations take on athletes, the Court remarked that such allegations carry a unique stigma. “It touches on their honour, legacy and identity, often leaving indelible scars,” the judgment read. It called upon anti-doping authorities to exercise “punctilious exactitude” in ensuring procedural fairness, especially given the reputational damage involved.
With nearly three years of the four-year ban already served, the Court declined to send the case back for reconsideration. Instead, it set aside both the 2022 and 2024 orders, allowing Rai to resume his sporting career without further delay.
“The petitioner’s plea was neither frivolous nor speculative. It was supported by material rooted in plausible biochemical explanation,” the Court concluded.
The ruling brings long-awaited relief to Shashank Rai, restoring his name and clearing the path for his return to competitive basketball.
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